Estimating Unknown Input Parameters when Implementing the NGA Ground-Motion Prediction Equations in Engineering Practice

The ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) developed as part of the Next Generation Attenuation of Ground Motions (NGA-West) project in 2008 are becoming widely used in seismic hazard analyses. However, these new models are considerably more complicated than previous GMPEs, and they require several more input parameters. When employing the NGA models, users routinely face situations in which some of the required input parameters are unknown. In this paper, we present a framework for estimating the unknown source, path, and site parameters when implementing the NGA models in engineering practice, and we derive geometrically-based equations relating the three distance measures found in the NGA models. Our intent is for the content of this paper not only to make the NGA models more accessible, but also to help with the implementation of other present or future GMPEs.

[1]  J. I. Ziony Evaluating earthquake hazards in the Los Angeles region--an earth-science perspective , 1985 .

[2]  J. Jackson,et al.  Normal faulting in the upper continental crust: observations from regions of active extension , 1989 .

[3]  D. Wells,et al.  New empirical relationships among magnitude, rupture length, rupture width, rupture area, and surface displacement , 1994, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[4]  G. Xie,et al.  Dip range for intracontinental reverse fault ruptures: Truth not stranger than friction? , 1998, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[5]  Raymond B. Seed,et al.  New Site Coefficients and Site Classification System Used in Recent Building Seismic Code Provisions , 2000 .

[6]  R. Sibson,et al.  Normal faults, normal friction? , 2001 .

[7]  J. Douglas Earthquake ground motion estimation using strong-motion records: a review of equations for the estimation of peak ground acceleration and response spectral ordinates , 2003 .

[8]  F. Scherbaum,et al.  On the Conversion of Source-to-Site Distance Measures for Extended Earthquake Source Models , 2004 .

[9]  T. Holzer,et al.  Shear-Wave Velocity of Surficial Geologic Sediments in Northern California: Statistical Distributions and Depth Dependence , 2005 .

[10]  N. Abrahamson,et al.  On the Use of Logic Trees for Ground-Motion Prediction Equations in Seismic-Hazard Analysis , 2005 .

[11]  P. Mai,et al.  Hypocenter locations in finite-source rupture models , 2005 .

[12]  K. Campbell Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) empirical ground motion models : Can they be used in Europe , 2006 .

[13]  C. Wills,et al.  Developing a map of geologically defined site-condition categories for California , 2006 .

[14]  D. Wald,et al.  Topographic Slope as a Proxy for Seismic Site-Conditions (VS30) and Amplification Around the Globe , 2007 .

[15]  D. Wald,et al.  Review Article Topographic Slope as a Proxy for Seismic Site Conditions and Amplification , 2007 .

[16]  K. Campbell Campbell-Bozorgnia NGA Ground Motion Relations for the Geometric Mean Horizontal Component of Peak and Spectral Ground Motion Parameters , 2007 .

[17]  N. Abrahamson,et al.  Summary of the Abrahamson & Silva NGA Ground-Motion Relations , 2008 .

[18]  H. Ghasemi,et al.  RANKING OF SEVERAL GROUND-MOTION MODELS FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ANALYSIS IN IRAN , 2008 .

[19]  B. Chiou,et al.  Directivity in NGA Earthquake Ground Motions: Analysis Using Isochrone Theory , 2008 .

[20]  BrianS-J. Chiou,et al.  An NGA Model for the Average Horizontal Component of Peak Ground Motion and Response Spectra , 2008 .

[21]  I. M. Idriss An NGA Empirical Model for Estimating the Horizontal Spectral Values Generated by Shallow Crustal Earthquakes , 2008 .

[22]  I. M. Idriss,et al.  Comparisons of the NGA Ground-Motion Relations , 2008 .

[23]  G. Atkinson,et al.  Ground-Motion Prediction Equations for the Average Horizontal Component of PGA, PGV, and 5%-Damped PSA at Spectral Periods between 0.01 s and 10.0 s , 2008 .

[24]  Julian J. Bommer,et al.  An evaluation of the applicability of the NGA models to ground-motion prediction in the Euro-Mediterranean region , 2008 .

[25]  K. Campbell,et al.  NGA Ground Motion Model for the Geometric Mean Horizontal Component of PGA, PGV, PGD and 5% Damped Linear Elastic Response Spectra for Periods Ranging from 0.01 to 10 s , 2008 .

[26]  J. Shoja-Taheri,et al.  A Test of the Applicability of NGA Models to the Strong Ground-Motion Data in the Iranian Plateau , 2009 .

[27]  G. Lanzo,et al.  A Comparison of NGA Ground-Motion Prediction Equations to Italian Data , 2009 .

[28]  J. Douglas,et al.  Making the most of available site information for empirical ground-motion prediction , 2009 .

[29]  J. Kaklamanos,et al.  Implementation of the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) ground-motion prediction equations in Fortran and R , 2010 .

[30]  L. Baise,et al.  A geostatistical approach to mapping site response spectral amplifications , 2010 .

[31]  J. Kaklamanos,et al.  Model Validations and Comparisons of the Next Generation Attenuation of Ground Motions (NGA-West) Project , 2011 .